Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)(97)

Kate tried to kick him, but he was prepared. Within a second, Kate was hopping on one leg with the opposite foot in Liam’s calm grip.

“It wasn’t me, but I know who it is.” Kimberly had been thrilled to hear from him, tell him about her calls from Rachel, grovel for Bev to come to Minneapolis.

“Oh, right.” Kate thrust her leg towards his groin.

He lifted her foot higher and unbalanced her. “Listen to me, you nut. It’s her assistant at Fite. I’ll give you her address. Go kick her.”

She buckled her knee, fell onto the floor, flipped onto her back, and twisted around to kick him with her free leg. “Let go of me!”

He maneuvered out of range but kept her foot in the air. “Bev—might be—in trouble!” he said in between thrashings. “She’s not answering her phone—and now you say she’s not here—will you just f*cking listen to me?”

Kate landed a hard kick in his shins, grunted, “There!” then relaxed. “One minute,” she said, panting on her back, “then your ass is grass.”

He flung her leg away and strode into the house. A moment of nostalgia crept over him, remembering Bev prancing around the house in her Fite pajamas, eating her Wonderbread, looking damn adorable . . .

“Tell me about the window.” He held up a hand to stop her eye-rolling indignation. “I don’t know why Rachel has lost it, but I assure you she’s your winner.”

Kate frowned at him but seemed to consider it. “I admit I was surprised about the window. Since you seemed to like keeping Bev around.”

To his annoyance he felt his face grow warm. “When did you notice the window?”

“In fact, I was starting to think you were getting kind of stupid about her. Your mom talks about her constantly.”

“The window?”

She flopped next to him on the couch. “Last week. I had meant to be gone by then and my mom, too, but—well, since Mom kicked Bev out she didn’t want to leave the house empty.”

He sat up straighter. “Your mom what?”

“We assumed she was at your place,” she said. “She isn’t at your mom’s. I checked.”

“Very sisterly of you.” He knew where she had to be, and he didn’t like it. He was on the wrong side of the bay.

Kate crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “Funny she didn’t tell you about it.”

“I have to talk to her.” He started to get up but Kate stretched her leg out and put her foot on his chest.

“Why would her assistant break windows and shit?”

He stared at her foot until she withdrew it. “Bev made her a vice president, but she seems to be carrying a grudge. She was quite close to your grandfather.”

She wrinkled her nose. “How old is this chick?”

“Twenty-eight?” He thought back to her last birthday party. “Something like that.”

“Go, Gramps. Yuck, that is so gross.”

“I could be wrong. But there were rumors.”

“Grandfather sure had a sick sense of humor, on top of being a horndog.” She scooted over and slapped him on the knee. “Well, I am glad you weren’t the one. I didn’t really think it was you, not after I saw the way you looked at her.”

He gave her a cold look and stood up. “You just like an excuse to hurt people. Unlike your sister.”

“That’s not true, I—”

Liam was already across the room opening the front door. “Rachel still thinks Bev lives here, so lock up.”

She came after him. “I can take her. What does she look like?”

“Just lock up.”

“I better come with you. You have a few good moves, but you don’t have a killer instinct. This chick plays dirty.”

“Stay here and tell your mother—”

Just then a white SUV pulled into the driveway and blinded him. He held up his arm to shield his eyes.

Kate waved. “Hi Mom!”

Shit.

Kate skipped past him and tapped on the driver’s side glass. “He’s looking for Bev! She’s not with him!”

Gail left the engine and lights on and got out of the car. He didn’t move, so she came over. “Where is she?”

“I’m trying to find out.”

“If she ran out on you, I’m not helping you find her,” Gail said.

“I haven’t seen her in weeks. When I left Fite.”

Gail’s eyes went wide. “But she’s been staying at your place. She must have been.”

“No.”

Kate ran over to the house, locked the front door, and came back. “We’ll take the Lexus.”

Gail gripped his arm. “But where can she be? She’d never pay for a hotel.”

Gratified she was concerned about her kid, Liam reached for his keys. “I’ll call you as soon as I find her.”

Gail blocked him. “We’ll go together.”

He looked into her face, so unlike Bev’s—except for the eyes. She had Bev’s eyes. Sooner or later he’d have to learn how to get along with all of her crazy relatives.

Later would be better. “I’ll call you when I find her,” he said, stepping into the dirt to get around her.